'More kids' getting first choice of schools across England

EARLY signs show that more children have secured their top choice of primary school in England this year, research indicates.

Today, the anxious wait was over for parents as they found out whether their child had secured a spot in their primary school of choice.

Early indications from a survey of local authorities suggest that a youngster's chances of winning a place at their first preference school varies significantly depending on where they live.

The poll, sent to councils across England, excluding London, suggests that a number of local authorities have seen a rise in the proportion of children getting their first preference.

Early figures, from 51 councils which provided comparable data by midday, show that 41 have seen a rise in the proportion of pupils getting their first preference compared with last year, while 10 have seen a fall.

Among the areas where very high proportions of pupils have achieved their first preference are Northumberland, where 98.4% got their first pick, and the East Riding of Yorkshire, with 97.5%.

In comparison, in Southend in Essex, only 85.4% of children got their first preference, a fall on last year, while in Hertfordshire, among all applicants, only 87.3% got their top choice.

England's school system has been under pressure in recent years due to a rise in the school-age population.

This has been fuelled by a spike in the birth rate in the early 2000s which has made its way through primary schools and is moving into secondary schools.

Official data shows that, last year, 90.2% of pupils were offered their first choice of primary school – which was down slightly on 90.6% in 2019.

Baroness Judith Blake, chair of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people's board, said: "Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important things a parent will do and this time of year can be extremely stressful.

"Everyone wants their child in a school where they can be happy, safe and reach their full potential.

"Over recent years, councils have created hundreds of thousands of extra primary school places. This is a demonstrable record that they are doing everything they can to rise to the challenge of ensuring no child goes without a place.

"Every child should have a fair chance of getting into their parents' preferred school and councils and schools work extremely hard to try and ensure that as many pupils as possible are allocated their first preference."

Last year, the Department for Education (DfE) changed its rules amid the pandemic so that parents unhappy with their school place would not have to make an appeal in person.

The temporary change has been extended until the end of September 2021 due to coronavirus restrictions.

Appeal panel hearings will be able to take place "either in person, by telephone, video conference or through a paper-based appeal".

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders' union NAHT, said many families applying for places for this autumn will have been unable to visit the school in person due to Covid-19.

He said: "It is vital that no child going through the primary admissions process this year should be disadvantaged. Support must be in place for families to navigate what can be a daunting process.

"For those families not getting their first choice of school, the appeals process will be going ahead, albeit virtually. This process must be as robust as ever and be made clear to parents through effective communication and advocacy, where required."

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